Redemptive Facets
by evanescentflame421
Summary: Sequel to "Repetitive Folly". A reimagining of "Deathly Hallows" if Hermione and Draco had fallen in love. "Severus cursed fate daily for the repetition of history. But he would not allow either one of his students experience his pain."
1. Regrouping

Chapter 1

Regrouping

Annoyance.

If you had asked Severus Snape what emotion he was experiencing at this moment, he would have identified annoyance. Only this was more than the general annoyance he experienced from everyday life.

He was annoyed with the assemblage of wizards who, by his account, were all mixtures of cowardice and hate. He was annoyed with the fact that once, long ago, he had been exactly like them. Now more than ever, he was unsure how he was able to breathe the same air as all of them. He hated that he had just given them information that would help them in any way. He wished he could have lied about when they were moving Potter, but that was a risk Severus could not take.

A long and miserable groan drew Severus away from his thoughts.

"Wormtail," he heard the Dark Lord call without any real interest, "have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet?"

Severus glanced over as the little coward sputtered out a response to Voldemort's question. Severus closed his hand into a loose fist, his annoyance once again coming to the forefront of his mind.

Voldemort was asking for someone's wand.

Severus felt annoyance at the eager expression on Bellatrix's face. He knew that no one _wanted_ to part with their wand, but Bellatrix was so dedicated that she might have been the least reluctant to part with a wand. Her devotion was repulsive.

Voldemort instead called on Lucius for the task.

Severus looked over to Draco, watching his reaction. The boy seemed calm. Much more stoic than he been only a year ago. Back when being so close to the Dark Lord caused him to tremble ever so slightly.

It was then, watching Draco, that Severus nearly drowned in his annoyance.

After that night - after the astronomy tower - he and Draco had regrouped and talked about the situation. Severus explained and Draco forgave telling Ms. Granger the truth. It was necessary. There needed to be no animosity or resentment because they were heading to war. There needed to be trust and understanding. Or at least whatever was closest to closeness as was possible between the professor and student turned colleagues.

The annoyance Severus was experiencing was at fate and the situation in which it had placed them. Though the young man was not ordinarily compelled to share with Severus, Draco did volunteer some information.

 _"She loves me," he said disbelievingly. "I... it's more than I could have ever hoped for. She loves me. I have to protect her. I'm going to fight... Because against all odds, she loves me."_

Severus cursed fate daily for the repetition of history. But he would not allow either one of his students experience his pain.

"My Lord," Bellatrix's voice cut through his thoughts, "it is an honor to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."

Draco's face remained unchanged as the Dark Lord scathingly spoke of Tonks and Lupin getting married. Severus wondered if Draco had even been paying attention to the conversation when the Dark Lord called for Draco's attention.

"What say you, Draco? Will you babysit the cubs?"

* * *

There had been nothing more comforting to Draco than the inscription on the face of his pocket watch. He had been tracing the words carefully and discreetly since the meeting had convened.

 _"I always will."_

He never knew those three words could evoke so much emotion from him. They brought him the greatest sense of comfort. They made him hate himself more than anything else he had ever hated in his life.

She had been right there, not five steps away. She was _right there._ She _loved_ him. And he didn't take her and run like he had so desperately wanted to for months. It happened too quickly and his opportunity had passed. But then what felt like a lifetime later, he felt a familiar warmth. She had found his note he had written right after he realized the Death Eaters were coming. And she still loved him.

He had been tempted to write back a message, but he did not want to take any risks. He had to be smart. He had to see her again... Outside of his nightly dreams where he relived their year together over and over again.

Draco had been tracing the inscription when Voldemort called for his attention.

"What say you, Draco? Will you babysit the cubs?"

His hand froze and Draco shifted to meet Voldemort's red eyed gaze. "It would take a lifetime to clean myself of that filth."

Almost the entire table erupted in cackles and shrieks finding the response hilarious. His father was still looking down at the table, trembling the same way Draco had a year ago when Voldemort first took up residence in their home. His mother looked... disappointed... disenchanted? He knew that she had noticed the changes over the past months and that she was concerned, however she never made it known to Draco. She could not bring herself to say the words out loud, no doubt fearing that someone might question his family's loyalty.

"Ah, a very true point you have made, young Draco," Voldemort flashed a sinister smile. "Now, moving on." Draco watched as the Dark Lord used his father's wand to draw a groan from the woman who had been suspended above the table like a decorative ornament. "Severus and Draco, I'm sure you recognize our guest?"

Both men exchanged glances and gave nods of affirmation.

"Yes... Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles... how they are not so different from us..."

"Severus... please... please..." she pleaded shakily. Draco's gut wrenched and he felt grateful that she had called out to Snape rather than to him.

"Silence," said Voldemort as Draco watched him flick his father's wand again to silence Professor Burbage. "Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defense of Mudbloods in the _Daily Prophet._ Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance... She would have us all mate with Muggles... or, no doubt, werewolves..."

Draco had noticed the atmosphere change in the room. Glancing around the table, it was clear all of the other Death Eaters had also picked up on the change. Their expressions ranged from fearful to eager as they waited for Voldemort's next action.

Draco had read the article, many of the Death Eaters had so that they could all discuss how revolting the notion was. The article resonated with Draco and had compelled him to imagine a life with Hermione.

Professor Burbage was crying. He blinked in an attempt to avoid her tearful gaze, and instead was met with an glimpse of an imagined child he dreamt of having with Hermione.

" _Avada Kedavra."_

The image of Hermione holding a newborn baby was blasted away by the green light of the Killing Curse.

"Dinner, Nagini," Voldemort said softly.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Hello all! Here is the first chapter of my reimagining of**_ **Deathly Hallows. _This is a sequel to my story "Repetitive Folly". Thank you to all who followed that story! It feels good to get back into the swing of things, and I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. I have the first few chapters mapped out, so I'm hoping to get another update done within a few days. Thank you all for your dedication and support! I love you all!_**


	2. Of Souls and Horcruxes

Chapter 2

Of Souls and Horcruxes

"Constant vigilance," she whispered softly as she tried to ignore the tears she had been fighting since they found out about Moody's death. She refused to wipe it away, but blinked furiously to prevent any other tears from falling.

"That's right," said Ron. "He'd tell us to learn from what's happened to him. And what I've learned is not to trust that cowardly little squit, Mundungus."

Hermione gave a shaky laugh which quickly faded when Ron gave a smile that seemed to convey more than platonic comfort. The boys hadn't brought up Draco and neither had she. She was a bit concerned about how Ron was interpreting her silence on the matter, but just thinking about Draco caused her to ache. She didn't want to fight with the boys about him. Not now. So she quickly went back to sorting which books she should pack for their mission.

She attempted to focus all of her attention on her books, remaining only vaguely aware of the conversation the boys were having. She took a deep, silent breath. It wasn't that she didn't think of Draco; on the contrary, she thought of him daily. It was just that she always tried to reminisce. She rarely allowed herself to miss him, opting instead to immerse herself in their memories. The way Ron smiled at her made her miss Draco.

Harry's attempt at persuasion distracted Hermione. Ron and she knew that Harry would try to talk them out of going. It was both sweet and frustrating. At the moment, it was definitely weighing more heavily on the frustrating side. "Listen!" Harry said in an attempt to stop her book sorting.

"No, Harry, _you_ listen," Hermione demanded sharply. "We're coming with you. That was decided months ago - years, really."

"But-"

"Shut up," Ron advised as Hermione barked a "No!"

"I've been packing for days so we're ready to leave in a moment's notice, which for your information has included doing some pretty difficult magic, not to mention smuggling Mad-Eye's whole stock of Polyjuice Potion right under Ron's mom's nose. I've modified my parents' memories so they believe they're actually Wendell and and Monica Wilkins, and that their life's ambition is moving to Australia, which they have now done. That's to make it more difficult for Voldemort to track them and interrogate them about me." She had debated doing something similar to Narcissa back when she thought she could help Draco save his parents. She wanted to give her Forgetfulness Potion and assign an Order member to protect her. "Assuming I survive the hunt for the Horcruxes, I'll find Mom and Dad and lift the enchantment. If I don't - well, I think I've cast a good enough charm to keep them safe and happy. Wendell and Monica Wilkins don't know they've got a daughter you see." She wondered if a well-brewed potion would have made Narcissa Malfoy like her parents. Before she knew it, Ron was at her side with his arm around her shoulder. She thought briefly about shrugging off his arm, but he was still her best friend and she didn't want to be cruel. Instead, she allowed herself to experience the heaviness on her chest that was her pendant. She had cast a Disillusionment Charm on it, so as far as anyone could see her neck was bare. But she hadn't taken it off since the day Dumbledore died.

"I - Hermione - I'm sorry, I didn't"

She shook her head. "Didn't know that we know exactly what might happen if we go with you?"

Ron explained his plan to Harry which involved a ghoul pretending to be a sickly Ron impostor. They then debated with Harry how to best protect the Weasley clan and which books would be most helpful before discussing the infamous R.A.B. person and the destruction of Horcruxes.

"Well," Hermione started hesitantly, "I've been researching that."

"How? I didn't think there were any books on Horcruxes in the library?"

"There weren't. Dumbledore removed them, but he didn't destroy them." She paused trying to think of how to explain how the books came into her possession.

Ron sat up straight, wide-eyed as Harry urged her to continue.

"Well..." she struggled, "it was easy. I just used a Summoning Charm. They zoomed out of Dumbledore's study and into my dormitory."

"Wait, when did you do all this?" Harry asked incredulously.

"After his - Dumbledore's - funeral. When I went to gather the rest of my things. I thought it was worth a try." Lying to them made her nervous, so she busied herself. "They're all packed - here's one." She shoved the book into Harry's hands. "This is the one that gives explicit directions on how to make a Horcrux. _Secrets of the Darkest Arts -_ it's a horrible book, full of evil magic. I bet Voldemort got ll the instruction he needed from here."

"Why did he have to ask Slughorn how to make a Horcrux, then, if he'd already read that?" Ron asked.

"He only approached Slughorn to find out what would happen if you tore your soul into seven," Harry answered.

"The more I read about them, the more horrible they seem, and the less I can believe he actually made six. It warns how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and that's just by making one Horcrux. You could try to put yourself back together, but it's extremely painful. You'd have to feel the remorse for what you've done. Apparently the pain could destroy you." Hermione went on to explain how to destroy a Horcrux - completely and beyond magical repair.

"But even if we wreck the thing it lives in, why can't the bit of soul go live somewhere else?" asked Ron.

"Because a Horcrux is the complete opposite of a human being. Whatever happens to your body, your soul will remain untouched, it will survive. But it's the other way round for a Horcrux. The fragment of the soul inside it depends on its container for survival. It can't survive without it."

Harry recounted his experience with destroying the diary. They began to discuss how Dumbledore might have destroyed the ring when Mrs. Weasley came in and gave each of the trio a task to complete in preparation for Bill and Fleur's wedding.

Hermione was grateful for the distraction. She thought about how she actually learned about the books.

 _"He what?" she asked disbelievingly. "I-I have to go stop him. He's not a killer - I won't let Voldemort turn him into one!" she had cried._

 _The dark haired main grabbed her shoulder to stop her. "Miss Granger, listen to me!" She let out a whimper but didn't interrupt her professor. "Dumbledore knows! He's known all this time, all right? And he's dying. The ring Potter told you about is killing him. I told Dumbledore about you two - you and Draco. He's ready to die." She started sobbing uncontrollably. "Granger, he told me he has a collection of texts that may help you. Find them in his study, he thinks they're best suited with you. Get them, do you understand?"_

 _She nodded. "Draco-" she said urgently._

 _"I am going to protect you and Draco at all costs," Professor Snape said firmly. "I have to rendezvous with the Death Eaters, but I will protect you two. You need to trust me. Do you trust me, Granger?"_

 _"Yes!" she nodded._

 _"Go to him - hurry. But then you have to trust me."_

 _She ran._

As horrible as it sounded, Hermione was grateful Professor Snape had killed Dumbledore so Draco didn't have to. She wanted so badly to tell Harry the truth, but it wasn't the right time.

She thought about the book describing how painful remorse could be. She felt sorry that her professor now had to live with it.

It amazed her that someone who had seemed so cruel could care so much.

She recalled what she had said to the boys earlier.

 _The fragment of the soul inside it depends on its container for survival. It can't survive without it._

Hermione touched her hand to her pendant and thought of Draco.

Suddenly it became clear to her. A piece of Severus Snape's soul died with Lily Evans. Now he was was trying to protect hers and Draco's. And she would never be able to thank him enough.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Chapter 2! Thank you so much to everyone who faved/followed/and reviewed the first chapter. The amount of support is overwhelming and -I- will never be about to thank any of you enough! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I can't wait to get working on the next.**_

 _ **Love you all!**_

 ** _P.S. I'm heading to Harry Potter World in California this weekend, so I'm hoping to get some inspiration._**


	3. Fight, Flight, Hide

Chapter 3

Fight, Flight, Hide

"Visualize it, Harry. You're can't just decide you're stopping it. Visualize it coming to a stop," Hermione commanded softly. Harry hissed in pain. "Like the stone of the castle walls, Harry, close it up."

Her friend heaved a heavy sigh that Hermione would have taken for a indication of success if it were not for the fact that he was still pressing against his scar.

"Slowly, Harry, build the wall." She realized then that she had grabbed him by both of his forearms. She released her grip and stepped away slowly. She hadn't even realized she had left her spot beside Ron. The thought that Harry was sharing visions with Voldemort again terrified her. If they were permitted the time, she would work with him on his Occlumency. Now more than ever they needed security. It was only then, after a curse, an artificial and dead Dumbledore, and a mental attack on Harry did Hermione look around at 12 Grimmauld Place. It was dusty, Gloomy, teeming with prejudiced portraits, and it was one of the closest things to home her friend had ever had. She knew that coming here would be a good idea. At the very least, she hoped it would boost Harry's morale. "I don't think we should separate tonight. I think we should all sleep together out here in the sleeping bags I've packed," she suggested to the two boys who were her biggest concern at the moment.

They nodded in agreement and Harry excused himself to use the restroom.

Hermione was digging through her bag when Ron asked, "What're you looking for?"

"Something that may help Harry with his pain," she explained.

"Hermione..." Ron trailed off. His worried tone made Hermione glance up and stop searching. "Look, I'm not sure if it's just me, but I felt something coming from you. I've Apparated with others before, but I still feel this... buzzing in my skin."

The witch's mouth fell agape as she struggled to form words. She had been concerned that this would happen, but she hadn't anticipated it would be today.

Clearly reading the expression of confusion and dismay on Hermione's face, Ron shook his hands at her. "No, no, no, that's not... I didn't mean it... like... _that!_ " His face rapidly changed to the shade of his hair. "What I meant was your magic! I... I feel this magical buzzing that I think came from you as we Apparated. It's wearing off now, but there was still this sensation of magic coursing through me," he explained. "And with what happened when we were getting our gifts from Dumbledore's will. It's just a bit strange, isn't it?"

She breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that Ron did not mean anything romantic with all his talk of buzzing. She recalled the interaction to which Ron was referring.

 _"You go too far!" Scrimgeour had shouted at Harry as he charged toward her friend wand-first. She watched Ron and Harry both go for their wands. There was a resounding_ boom _as Scrimgeour was thrown back several paces. All eyes turned to Hermione and she noticed for the first time that her hair was whipping around her face and she was completely flushed. She didn't move. Finally Scrimgeour straightened himself out and moved to leave. "I promise you, Mr. Potter, if the Dark Lord had my cooperation, you'd all be dead."_

She shrugged at her friend and turned back to her bag. "It was strange, that's for sure. But your 'buzzing' I'm sure is just adrenaline. We're all worked up, Ron." The truth was that Hermione had no clue what was happening and that thought terrified her.

Finally, Harry made his way back looking pale but in far less pain. Hermione finally found the medicine she had been looking for and handed it to Harry. "Just in case," she suggested.

Harry nodded and took a seat. "Thank you. And thank you for earlier," he said referring to her suggestion to visualize a wall. "Why did you think to do that?" Harry asked curiously.

She debated what to say. She finally came to the conclusion that the truth was a safe enough answer. "I used to practice with Draco."

She watched as Ron's eyes quickly found the floor and a slow frown graced his lips. Harry's eyes also darted away from her, but not from pity or empathy.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked anxiously.

"Malfoy... I just watched him... torture one of the Death Eaters from the cafe."

Hermione's stomach dropped. She said nothing, but rose and made her way to the kitchen. She was suddenly parched. Taking a deep drink of water, she closed her eyes and let the sensation of Draco's arms around her consume her memory.

" _Would you like to hear an interesting fact?"_

 _"Who do you think you're speaking to? I always want to hear interesting facts," she quipped as she leaned into his arm._

 _"Apparently, at one point, Muggle-born witches and wizards were revered. It was only logical for wizarding families to produce magical offspring, but Muggle-borns defied logic. To everyone, a Muggle-born was just as special - if not more - as a Pureblood. They were power enough to create that magic on their own, it was not something as trivial as being born into the right family."_

 _"Where did you hear that?" Hermione asked wondrously._

 _"My grandfather."_

 _"I never would have guessed that fact coming from you. Why do you bring it up?"_

 _"I was just thinking that there is no other person as magical as you are."_

Hermione sighed once more. Times were different now. Now they were at war. If Draco was torturing someone, it was for survival. They were living under "fight or flight" circumstances, and Draco's family made "flight" impossible. All she knew was that the man who she knew would not cause harm unless absolutely necessary. The Astronomy Tower proved that. The way he loved her proved that.

* * *

"More, Rowle, or shall we end it and feed you to Nagini?" The red-eyed creature threatened. "You called me back for this, to tell me Harry Potter has escaped again? Draco, give Rowle another taste of our displeasure."

Draco lifted his wand and released a curse with no hesitation. Draco was a mixture of fury and relief. He was relieved that Hermione was free, but thoroughly annoyed that the incident was apparently wiped away from Rowle's mind. The only thing Rowle could remember was spotting Hermione and her friends in the cafe, then he had no recollection. Draco wanted desperately to know if there had been an exchange. If Hermione was unharmed. Who he needed to kill if she had been hurt.

For the first time, Draco registered the howls of pain from the Death Eater writhing on the ground.

Draco lowered his wand. Voldemort placed a heavy pale hand on Draco's shoulder. "You've done very well, my dear boy. You're destined to rise through the ranks just like your dear Aunt Bellatrix. So much better than your father who cowers in my presence and hides to make himself smaller. You're a warrior, young Malfoy."

Voldemort lifted a hand from Draco's shoulder, leaving Draco alone with the man he had just been torturing.

The snake-like man was absolutely correct. Draco was a warrior. And Voldemort was on the wrong side of Draco's war.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So this chapter was a bit of a filler. Next one will be much better, promise! 3**_


	4. Visions

Chapter 4

Visions

She had tried so desperately to sleep. She knew that rest would be important. She knew that she couldn't afford to be exhausted. But being back at Grimmauld Place made her ache. She missed Sirius. She was afraid they would be found. She missed the members of the Order. It also didn't help that there were several portraits of Narcissa in the very room where they slept. And of course, she was acutely aware the the Black family tapestry was a short stroll away, a depiction of a young Draco on the latest branch.

She touched her pendant and glanced down at Ron who had insisted she should sleep on the sofa cushions. Earlier today had been the first time she'd used his name since the day of Dumbledore's funeral. Ron kept an appropriate distance from her for the rest of the evening. She thought back to the wedding.

 _"You look great!" Ron had nearly shouted._

 _"Always a tone of surprise," she said in a manner that she had hoped sounded playful._

She hadn't felt very playful, though, especially later after the ceremony when Ron asked her to dance.

 _"Come and dance," Ron had demanded to try to get away from Viktor._

 _"No!" she had refused all too quickly. "I mean... it's been so long since I've seen Viktor. I'd love to catch up."_

That had thoroughly upset Ron and he seemed wounded until he was distracted by Fred, George, and several of Fleur's cousins. Ron left the table and Hermione and Harry listened to Viktor talk about the Grindelwald and the symbol Xenophilius Lovegood was wearing. Viktor had also asked her to dance and she obliged, only to let him down gently and tell her she was involved with someone - and no, it was not Ron.

Hermione thought back to the ceremony and the tears she had not allowed to escape then were back now. And in the darkness, she had less reason to fight them.

The ceremony had been beautiful. Everyone and everything had looked spectacular. It actually would not have been alarming if Hermione had started crying during the ceremony because at a point it seemed half the crowd was swept up in the beauty of the ceremony. But Hermione refused to cry because she felt selfish. She refused to cry because, though she was incredibly happy for Bill and the entire family, when she looked up at the bride and groom, she saw a future she feared she would never have. She blinked and the guests morphed from the Weasley and Delacour families to her and Draco's. The venue shifted to her backyard. As she watched Fleur and Bill gaze lovingly at each other, she could see only herself and Draco. She blinked again and the vision shifted back to reality. The weight of her pendant hadn't felt more heavy than in that moment. All she wanted to do was reach out to him. To see him again. To get married and run until this whole thing was over. But she couldn't and wouldn't do that. Neither of them was that selfish, she knew that. No matter how much they may have both wanted to be.

As a tear slipped down her cheek, the witch decided that there was no way she would be going back to sleep. It was early morning and they would all need to be up soon anyway, so she decided to roam and take stock of the house before the bigoted portraits could wake and hurl insults at her.

As she went from room to room she noticed that each one looked messy. Like someone had gone in looking for something in each one. She walked into the room that Harry would share with Ron and looked more thoroughly, searching for any signs of magic. When she found nothing, she heaved a sigh of relief that they would each be able to sleep in a proper bed if they needed to extend their stay.

Her next step was Sirius's room. Her heart felt heavy as she pushed open the door. She let out a small laugh and realized she had been holding her breath as she laughed at his decoration. His walls were dripping with Gryffindor pride, much to the chagrin of his family, she was sure. She was drawn to a wall of photographs and smiled at the collage of love and friendship she saw. It was always baffling to see just how much a young James looked like Harry. She attempted to pull a photo off the wall, but Sirius seemed to have placed a protective charm that prevented anyone from removing his decor.

Wanting to share this with Harry, she decided it wasn't too early to wake him. As she made her way to leave, something caught her eye. She walked over near the bed and picked up what appeared to be a letter and another photograph. Reading through it, she realized it had come from Lily Potter who had written to Sirius to share Harry's first Christmas experience. At this point in time it appears they had been in hiding and were a bit stir crazy, but little Harry loved the toy broom his godfather had gifted him. The photograph was of a very young Harry flying around joyously on his gift being chased by a pair of legs that must have belonged to James Potter. The letter abruptly cut off with Lily talking about Dumbledore, but Hermione could not spot the second page of the letter. She searched the room again, but decided it must be gone. She skimmed over the letter again and could see similarities in Lily and Harry's handwriting. Though hers looked much less like chicken scratch than that of her son. Hermione traced over one of the places where Harry's name appeared. As Hermione traced, she felt a heaviness over her.

 _Suddenly Hermione was next to a fireplace. She heard a high pitched giggle as a tiny toddler charging toward her on a levitated broomstick. Instinctively, she reached out and took the toddler into her arms and let the toy fall to the ground. In a voice that was not her own, she whispered, "Happy Christmas, my beautiful boy."_

A shiver ran down her spine as Hermione suddenly found herself back in Sirius's room. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she would not think about it for now. For now she just wanted to show this treasure to Harry so that they could all experience just a bit of happiness.

The witch left the room and was about to head back downstairs when she stopped suddenly. And she did not know why. But she did, and she followed the instincts that told her she should not leave. As she looked at the surrounding area, she caught sight of a sign which she otherwise might not have noticed. She moved closer to examine the sign:

 ** _Do Not Enter  
Without the Express Permission of  
Regulus Arcturus Black_**

She touched the sign and saw a flash of the note and locket Harry recovered from his trip with Dumbledore.

"HARRY! RON! GET UP HERE!"

* * *

"Professor?" Severus looked up as Draco approached. They had agreed to meet in the garden after Draco's lesson with Bellatrix. The older man nodded in acknowledgment. "May I?" the blonde boy inquired.

Severus nodded and Draco entered the older man's mind. They had decided that delving into each other's minds would be the most efficient and safest way to share information. Voldemort had requested a meeting with Severus earlier that evening. Severus was supposed to have gone to try to enter Grimmauld Place to see if the Death Eaters would be able to penetrate it. Severus suspected Granger, Potter, and Weasley might try to hide there. So Severus went, but made no attempt to enter. Instead, Draco used magic to gently wound the older wizard so that Severus could convince Voldemort that they would not be able to access Grimmauld Place. And the Dark Lord fell for it.

Draco nodded and sighed.

"She was gone from the wedding before we arrived. I know that's not very comforting, but she was in no danger at that point in time," Severus offered.

Draco nodded, still remaining silent.

Severus thought of something. He wasn't sure if he should share it, but there was really no harm. "I want to show you something."

The young man nodded and once again dove into the mind of his professor.

 _There was an immensely sad feeling as he stared down at his shoes. He looked up and across from him was a couple dancing. Flowers spiraled around them magically as a group of about seven or eight people clapped and cheered. His eyes flew back to the couple and focused on the redheaded woman. As she twirled, she looked up and met his glance. She smiled before quickly averting her eyes. He felt his heart melt._

"What-"

"I watched Lily get married," Severus explained.

"How did you know? Why were you there?" he asked still baffled.

"She got married in the spot where we met. I went there often to be alone. And this particular time I went, she was there getting married." He couldn't help the sadness that entered his voice.

"Did she do it on purpose?"

"Do I think she did it maliciously? Never. Do I think she wanted me there?" The question hung in the air for a moment. He had spent many years pondering the questions. "I think she knew there was a very good chance I'd show up. And the way she smiled at me, she wasn't against me being there. Not at that moment."

Draco was silent for a moment. "Did it hurt?"

Severus nodded slowly, "Very much so. But... I am grateful she gave me that moment. I knew she was safe and happy. I was able to witness the most beautiful vision - I got to share in that love with her though only for a moment. For the briefest moment in time I had my best friend back."

Draco thought back to when he and Hermione danced together in the Room of Requirement. This time though, she was in Lily's white gown and flowers were swirling around the two of them.

Severus spoke and pulled Draco away from his imagined vision. "I told the Dark Lord that it would probably still be a good idea to post guards at Grimmauld Place in case they showed up."

"Thank you."


	5. Degrees of Separation

Chapter 5

Degrees of Separation

It has been several days since they had sent Kreacher to retrieve Mundungus Fletcher. Hermione couldn't rid her mind Kreacher telling his tale of what happened to Regulus Black. She couldn't stop feeling his grief.

 _"Of course, Voldemort would have considered the ways of the house-elves far beneath his notice, just like all the other purebloods who treat them like animals... It would never have occurred to him that they might have magic that he didn't," she said icily, feeling both angered and slightly vindicated at the "Dark Lord" making such a mistake._

 _As Kreacher continued with his recollection, she went to retrieve the decoy locket from Hargrid's bag. The view of a cave flashed before her as she took it into her hand. She was sailing across the lake Kreacher had mentioned and she could see the basin in the distance. The witch shook the images from her head, not wanting to get caught up in her own imagination of how things might have looked. She returned to listening to Kreacher's recollection._

 _"Kreacher, we'd like you to have this," Harry nodded to Hermione after spotting the locket. "This belonged to Regulus and I'm sure he'd want you to have it as a token of gratitude for what you did."_

 _Hermione knelt down so that she was at eye level with the house-elf. The usual disgust in his eyes when he looked at her was replaced with marvel at the locket she was holding. She gently pressed the locket into Kreacher's hand._

 _She was transported back into the cave as her palm accidentally brushed against Kreacher's. She was no longer gliding on the black surface but in front of the basin which had previously seemed so far away. A cry of pain caused her to look up. "Master Regulus!" she sobbed. "Please stop, Master!" The slight man she had seen in pictures upstairs was gripping the basin tight and gasping for air. She could feel the tears streaming down her face and the pounding of her heart. Suddenly a hand reached up from the surface and grabbed Regulus. She let out a wail that shook her entire body. Her hands wrapped tightly around the locket that Regulus commanded her to destroy. With one final look at the dark haired man, she dropped to her knees and felt the familiar sensation of_ _Disapparition pulling at her._

 _"Hermione!" she heard Harry call, clearly alarmed._

 _Instinctively she threw her arms around the house-elf. Kreacher did not recoil at her touch. He did not scream. He did not call her bad names. She pulled away from him. She did not realize she had been crying until the small creature wiped a tear from her eye. She recognized the aching in his eyes._

 _"Find Mundungus Fletcher," Kreacher whispered as he nodded with determination._

The boys had been baffled at the exchange. That was the first time a house-elf hadn't basically tried to rip its own skin off after touching her. When they asked why she was crying she just said that she understood how Kreacher felt. Not being able to save someone she loved. Ron accepted the answer but Harry seemed skeptical, but did not push her for any more answers.

Which was a good thing because she did not have them. She knew elf magic was different, but she did not believe sharing memories like that were in their repertoire of abilities. She considered Legilimency, but she was not trying to enter Kreacher's mind and she highly doubted he would voluntarily show her anything. Whatever transpired she was sure that Kreacher had felt it too and would ask him when he returned.

" _Severus Snape?"_

The hiss broke her away from her thoughts as she heard another voice call, "It was not I who killed you, Albus." Not losing her sense of caution, she drew her wand as Ron leapt to his feet from his seat in the drawing room. Harry was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs with his wand at the ready. From the darkness came Remus who offered up several personal pieces of information to prove his identity. They all took turns embracing their old Professor before moving into the kitchen where he produced butterbeers - the best thing any of them had tasted in days - and he provided an update to the three isolated teens. It was a relief to learn were that there were no new causalities.

What was not a relief was the news that Remus had brought in the version of the _Daily Prophet._ The paper had identified Harry and herself as Dumbledore's murderers because they had been witnessed fleeing from the Tower. There was also now a requirement for all school aged children to attend Hogwarts. Except for the Muggle-borns who would no doubt be filtered out. What more was to be expected when there was a Muggle-Born Register where Ministry Authorities would be investigated to determine how they "obtained" their magic. Hermione felt her stomach turn in loops. In that moment she was so grateful to herself for altering her parents' memories and sending them away.

The witch had only been vaguely listening to the conversation around her until something caught her attention. "What about Tonks?" she asked in response to their former professor's offer to join them.

"What about her?" he questioned.

"Well, you're married. How does she feel about you going away with us?" Remus assured her that Tonks would be safely tucked away. But Tonks should not have needed to be with her parents. "Remus... is everything all right... you know... between you and -"

"Everything is fine, thank you." Lupin said pointedly. He had never taken that tone with her and she didn't like it. She looked him over once more and noticed how tense he appeared to be. "Tonks is going to have a baby," he finally admitted. Remus grimaced at their congratulations and asked again if they would accept his offer to join their mission.

"Harry, I'm sure James would have wanted me to stick with you," Remus offered.

"I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you weren't sticking with your own kid, actually."

Hermione watched as Lupin and Harry exchanged words, she could see the grief that plagued Remus and it seem to flood the air around her.

"You have only ever seen me amongst the Order, or under Dumbledore's protection at Hogwarts! You don't know how most of the Wizarding world sees creatures like me! Don't you see what I've done? Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage, what parents want their only daughter to marry a werewolf? And the child! The child... My kind doesn't usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it - how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!"

His grief overwhelmed her. "Remus! Don't you say that - how could any child be ashamed of you?"

"Oh, I don't know, I'd be pretty ashamed of him. If this new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad, what will they do to a half-werewolf whose father is in the Order? My father died trying to protect our mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid and go on an adventure with us?"

"How - how dare you?"said Lupid.

"Remus..." Hermione started and immediately stopped because her voice had cracked. All of the men turned their attention to her. This was the first time either Ron or Harry had seen her cry more than a tear since Dumbledore's death.

"Hermione-" he started but she silenced him with a shake of her head.

She felt his grief. She understood his feelings. She did. They way she felt Kreacher's grief. It compounded her own. "We only have so many choices to make." The statement hung in the air for a moment as she tried to collect herself. They all watched her intently. "We don't choose who we fall in love with. If we did... neither of us would be in the positions we're in."

Remus nodded. He had not gotten all the details, but he was aware somewhat of what had transpired between she and Draco.

"And some of us are forced into choices." She thought of the night of Dumbledore's death. Of chasing after Draco. "We only have so much say in what happens to us. We choose how to react. And we live with it." Her pendant felt heavy on her neck. "And it is the cruelest thing in the world to take away the ability to choose from someone you love. To make the choice for them." She recalled the slow movement of time as she waited for Draco that night. "You and I made choices. We chose to be with our partners regardless of anything else. And we dealt with the 'anything else'. But now you have a choice I didn't have. I have no choice but to be without Draco. And the way I've felt, the way I feel every single moment I'm without him... I can promise you this is not the choice you want to make." She could see Draco Disapparating in front of her that night. "Choose to be as close as you can for as long as you can. This is war, Remus, and for some of us separation is inevitable. Don't bring it on before it's time."

* * *

She was there. He stared at the anomaly in the numbering system and knew that she was somewhere in there. He had spent days posted outside with no indication of any movement. No indication that there was anything more between number eleven and number thirteen that were clearly visible to every passerby on the street. But he knew she was in there.

Draco tried to take a watch shift every day. Whenever Voldemort didn't need him. Whenever he wasn't forced to leave due to exhaustion. And there were several times when he ignored the exhaustion.

Security had increased at Grimmauld Place as September approached. He had fantasized a plan where he would communicate with Hermione, take out whatever Death Eater was on watch with him, and then run with her. Even now with half a dozen on watch with every shift Draco was convinced his plan could work. They could get away. He knew that she was somewhere behind bricks and protection spells. Things he knew he could fight through.

But that was not all that separated them. He knew that he couldn't compromise her. He knew that she had a plan of some sort. Just like he did. And he believed that they both wanted the same ending. An ending that he couldn't jeopardize by reaching out too soon.

He pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. Within seconds another Death Eater strolled up to take Draco's place on his watch shift. It was time for Draco to go back to Hogwarts.

The train ride felt longer than it had in the past. His house mates were brimming with questions and snotty remarks. He feigned sleep to escape them. The air in the castle was thick. Everything seemed darker. Snape was doing a very good job at creating an atmosphere of intimidation.

Draco went to the Room of Requirement after dinner. He was supposed to meet Snape in the Headmaster's office after curfew and didn't want to spend that time participating in a forum about the Dark Lord and his plans.

The room seemed to be untouched. He went to the spot where he had left the note for Hermione. He passed her giant chair and the memory of her in it and took a seat on the sofa they had shared.

 _"I've been waiting," she said accusingly with a smile playing at her lips._

 _"I apologize, I was being interrogated by Blaise. He can be as unrelenting as you are." He kissed her softly. "Besides, a few minutes is nothing compared to how long you've kept me waiting."_

 _She huffed and rolled her eyes. "When have I ever kept you waiting, Draco?"_

 _"I was always waiting for you, Hermione."_

Eventually it was time for Draco to meet with his new headmaster. He entered the room to see Snape staring at a portrait. The older man turned quickly at the sound of Draco's entrance. "Good evening, _Headmaster."_

"Draco..." Severus said in a low voice, "she made contact."

* * *

 **SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER**

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Ron and Harry cry out a "no".

Remus had agreed to stay with Tonks, but had also said that he would not be stopped from checking in and helping with supply runs. Today he came bearing a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ featuring a giant picture of Professor Snape on the front page.

"At least now we know where he is," Remus said slumping into a chair. "There were Death Eaters everywhere as the Hogwarts Express departed. I'm surprised they have any left to keep watch of you all here. It's still believed that Ron's sick, but people are everywhere looking for you two." He pointed at Harry and Hermione.

"Oh!" A thought occurred to Hermione. She ran upstairs and came back down carrying a portrait.

"What's that for?" Ron asked.

"It's a portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black," she responded.

"Brilliant, Hermione!" Remus commended.

"Sorry, we still don't understand," Harry pressed.

"The headmaster's office," Hermione and Remus said in unison. Remus continued, "He can flit between the portrait here and the one at Hogwarts."

Hermione shoved the portrait into her enchanted handbag. "Now all he'll be able to see is the inside of my bag."

Remus chatted for a while longer before heading home to Tonks. The three had decided that with Tonks being pregnant they could not include him in their plan. They would not risk him or his blossoming family.

After his departure, the trio decided that their plan would be put into action tomorrow.

That meant Hermione needed to be right.

After the all retired to their rooms, Hermione summoned the portrait from the bag. "Good evening, Headmaster Black." She took a deep breath. "Would you please tell Headmaster Snape that... the Insufferable Know-It-All is here."


End file.
